Computer Science Engineering: Why students prefer to study abroad

Nikhilesh Tiwari has a point to make about the employability of Computer Engineering graduates in India. “Computer Engineering freshers generally lack practical knowledge and more than 70% of them are not industry ready,” says the Co-founder at Helical IT Solutions.

According to Mr Tiwari, the nature of the Computer Science Engineering (CSE) course may be the reason why companies have a tough time finding good graduates. 

Mr Tiwari points out the fact that in India the course focuses more on the theoretical aspect. This, he says, is the main difference between CSE courses in India and in the UK or US.

Course content

Most students agree that their courses are theoretical in nature and feel that there should be a practical aspect.

Dhruv Gaur, who is a Computer Science Engineering student from Rajasthan University, seconds Mr Tiwari’s point. “The course pattern is easy and there needs to be an emphasis on practical rather than theory classes,” says the student.

Mr Tiwari explains how the course structure in countries like the US bring about innovation. 

“In other countries, practicals, projects, research work, thesis, PhD etc are considered very important, that's why we generally see big technology companies and innovations happening a lot more abroad,” elucidates Mr Tiwari. 

He also reveals that other countries provide on-field experience by letting the candidates work for any company for 3-6 months which helps a lot in understanding the basics and learning.

Soham Purohit, who is pursuing MS in Computer Science from University of Florida, says, “I have completed my first year and I am doing an internship which will definitely enhance my knowledge of the field and help me get a better job.”

Career matters

Mr Tiwari feels that scope is more in India because India is becoming an IT services hub and hence finding a job here in India is not that difficult for a CSE fresher.

Kumar Sagar, student of Dhanraj Dutt Institute of Engineering & Management Studies in Odisha, also thinks that there is lot of scope in India. He explains his point by giving an example, “A company like Tata will require both IT & Non-IT engineers of same numbers whereas another MNC like Google or Microsoft will require more computer engineers than core engineers.”

The opportunity to work with the latest technology, however, is what draws Indian graduates to foreign destinations. “The world is talking about 4G and 5G and we are still waiting for better 3G connection and hence I would like to go abroad because there are lots of opportunities there in terms of job profile and better package,” says Dhruv.

Maybe a change in the course structure in institutes across India may help in promoting innovation, make it easier for  companies to hire graduates and retain talent.